Pulse Saviors
by bv97sorafanfic
Summary: A girl and her younger brother are branded by a Pulse fal'cie. Their focus is unkown, and they odds of success are very low. That is, until they find the secret l'cie army...
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Ramuna

I scan my surroundings closely, searching for any sign of danger. Anything from a loose branch to a deadly Behemoth. I have to keep my brother safe. I see no immediate threat, so I wave Carson out of his bush. Of course, he isnt even where I told him to be. The Chocobo is gone as well. Sighing, I unshoulder my bow. It opens to its full size and I pull back the drawstring. An arrow materializes and I kick my chocobo's legs. The oversized bird trots slowly through the dense jungle.

I begin to worry. I can't see Carson anywhere. I worry that PSICOM got a hold on him. He could be tortured. Or worse. Killed on the spot. L'cie are enemies of the Sanctum, and therefore they had to be eliminated, as well as anybody in contact with them. My chocobo lets out a shrill "Kweh". It begins to run quickly. I lift my bow higher and take aim. The first army official I see is getting an arrow in the head. The secound gets one in the heart.

As my black chocobo runs through the dense jungle, I begin to hear laughter. I let myself calm down. I release the drawstring on my bow slowly, and the arrow dematerializes. Putting my bow behind my back and hopping off the black chocobo, I walk to the sound of laughter. Behind two large leaves I can see the silhouettes of a chocobo and a small boy.

I throw back the leaves to see Carson and his blue chocobo playing in a pool of water. "Aren't you a little old to be playing in water?" I ask my little brother playfully.

"Come on, Ramuna can't I have _some_ fun?" Carson pleads. I give my little brother a concerned look. He is only twelve years old, way to young to understand death. Way to young to be forced into a destiny, a destiny that he will most likely fail. He will suffer a fate worse than death. His only hope for the future is that he gets a quick death. Of course I was going to try to give him a better future. I had to. It was all I could give him.

Carson had long black hair that covered his ears and stopped. He constantly had to move his bangs out of his eyes. His hair also looked as though somebody put a bowl atop his head. Carson's eyes were beautiful. He had blue eyes, but they had amazing shades of dark purple mixed in. They looked like an aurora of blue and purple, with the black pupil shining excitedly in his round face.

I walk toward Carson and into the water. I place my hands on his shoulders and look into those beautiful eyes of his. It was moments like this when I hated being a big sister. "Carson," I say to him gently, "Do you remember how we would play in the puddles in the back alleys? Back home in Palumpolum?"

Carson nodded excitedly. He smiled and said, "And all the kids would join us and we would make up games! I remember their names still... Hope and Cecily... and what was that one boy...he was your age..."

I quickly push the thought of Thane out of my mind. I would start to cry. And I cant do that. Not now. "Carson," I continue, "Carson you need to remember that you are a l'cie now, and we can't play around anymore. Ok?"

"Why can't we have some fun Ramuna?" Carson looks at me with his adorable eyes. I can't explain to him the need of our situation. The trouble that he is in. We are l'cie. Branded by the enemies of Cocoon. Servants of Pulse. Enemy of the Sanctum. The titles go on and on. If someone sees our Brands, our lives are over. The only thing that I can do for Carson and I is hope that we can complete our focus, whatever it may be.

Lucky for Carson, his Brand is just below his heart on his chest. It will be covered constantly by his blue shirt. I am not that fortunate. My Brand is on the back of my neck. I have to keep it covered by my long black hair almost constantly, or I will be detected, and then so will Carson.

"Carson we can have all the fun in the world once we get to Nautilus, ok?" I try my best to get him to agree with me. I pull him out of the water and scowl at the blue chocobo.

Stupid bird. Chocobos are giant, oversized, flightless birds that people used to ride. Now of course, on Cocoon people travel by walking in the cities, or by taking an aircraft. Nobody needs to leave the safety of their street. Cocoon is so highly technologically advanced. Anybody can do their shopping with a portable touch screen station. I have one in my pack. Every citizen on Cocoon is issued a free one when they turn sixteen. I have little gil, so I cannot buy anything, but it is helpful to watch the news and find out information. Keep tabs on the army. The enemy, now.

The Chocobos were gifts from our "aunt" Boco. She really isn't our aunt, just an old friend of our mother. When our parents died in an aircraft crash, she took us in and bought us a house in Palumpolum. She wouldn't let us live with her in Nautilus, "to expensive" she claimed. We have lived for eight years alone in Palumpolum. Aunt Boco payed our rent, sent us clothes when we needed them, and provided grocery money. The rest was up to me. When Carson and I woke up a couple of days ago Branded by a Pulse fal'cie, I sent a message to Aunt Boco, pleading that she wouldn't say anything and that she would help us out. She agreed and Aunt Boco kept her word. The next day we had two chocobos delivered at our house. A blue one, meant to be able to cast magic like l'cie, and a black one, meant to be able to weaken our enemies. She sent two thousand gil and a note as well. This is what is said:

_Dearest Ramuna, _

_As your auntie Boco, I am required to protect you from any and all harm. I promise my long dead best friend Angelica that I will keep you safe. Come to Nautilus. Buy a map of Cocoon. DO NOT TRAVEL BY AIRCRAFT! It is to risky. Travel through the Sunleth Waterscape and you will eventually come to Nautilus. I will know when you arrive. Ride the chocobos. The blue one is a Ravager and the black one is a Saboteur. I am assuming you don't know what those are yet. I will explain when you arrive. Stay safe. If you run into trouble, the chocobos will protect you! Flee immediately. And Ramuna, do keep Carson safe. He's all you have... and I can't bare to discover that he had been killed. _

_Yours truly, _

_Auntie Boco!_

_Lots and lots of kisses!_

Aunt Boco was trustworthy at least. The chocobos are a help. When we first left Palumpolum, we were about a mile into the Sunleth Waterscape when we were attacked by a Silver Lobo. The Blue Chocobo cast some pretty epic magic, raining down lighting from the sky and freezing the beast where he stood. The Silver Lobo escaped before the chocobo could do any real damage, but not before my Black Chocobo cast some spell on it. The beast ran away with bubbles appearing over its grotesque head. That was the first time Carson and I had ever seen magic.

Holding Carson's hand in mine, I helped him onto the blue chocobo, which he had taken to calling "Azul". Azul detests me, and I detest her. The stupid bird is always getting Carson into trouble. Leading him into the water pool, for example.

I retrieve my black chocobo, which I don't care to name, and hop onto it. Kicking it's legs once more, the chocobo set off at another trot, Azul and Carson closely behind now. As we ride I check through the pack slung over my shoulder with my bow. Four potions, for medical emergencies, one phoenix feather, for mortal wounds (hopefully I will never have to use this), and of course my Datalog, the personal shopping computer/data device. I have used this a lot over the past few days. After the attack from the Silver Lobo, I had to have a new weapon. So I bought my bow. It is really a unique weapon. The bow is completely metal, and it collapses into a cylinder about the size of my leg. It has a strap on it when it is collapsed, so I can shoulder it. The bow, when fully extended is as tall as me. It will never run out of arrows. I can fire an unlimited volley. The arrows materialize out of energy from the air around me, and when fired they are hot, thin, and very deadly. Two or three arrows would kill a PSICOM guard. For Carson, I bought a small survival knife. Nothing special about it. The blade flips into the hilt when he doesn't need it.

Hopefully, Carson will never have to fight. I hope with all my being that I can keep Carson safe. I will keep Carson safe. Even if I fail my focus. Carson will at least complete his. I will tear down Cocoon for him. He never knew his parents. I was his only family. Even Aunt Boco didn't have that much influence in his life. He has had nothing, yet everything has been taken from him. By a fal'cie. I will kill that fal'cie, and it's stupid focus will be fulfilled. Carson will have eternal life. Even at the cost of my own.

The chocobos trotted at a steady pace, mine in the lead. Azul was making annoying "kweh" sounds to amuse Carson. I wanted to shoot an arrow down the thing's throat. At least my chocobo was normal. It peed and pooped and kwehed and peed some more and pooped some more. Everything a monster does.

The Sunleth Waterscape was indeed beautiful. Everything was green. So much green. Thick vines wrapped around massive trees. Large, moss covered rocks served as our path high up in the branches of the massive trees. Below the rocks was an endless, beautiful sparkling lake. Flowers grew on the vines and trees. So much vegetation. The air smelled of indescribable aromas. The flowers were massive and multi-colored. A huge orange flower bursts into bloom as I pass it. Carson begins to play with dangling vines. He bats it around in front of him, like a cat playing with a piece of string. I laugh when the vine flies back into his face. If it weren't for the impending threat of a monster attack at any minute and the constant chore of glancing over my back to check if armed army officials were chasing us, I might have actually enjoyed myself. But I am a l'cie. And the time for happiness is over. I have to be strong, for Carson and for myself.

As we continue our slow trek through the Sunleth Waterscape, my chocobo becomes nervous. I can feel it under his feathers, the slight tremble. I extend my bow and pull back the drawstring. Sensing my anxiety and sudden alertness, Carson takes out his survival knife and flips the blade open.

"Don't worry," I try to calm him and myself, "Its just the chocobo, she senses something." I release my drawstring and pat the bird's neck to make it look as though I am comforting it. The chocobo's eyes are huge. Something is wrong. Before I can react, four plants emerge from the ground.

The creatures were orange monstrosities. Gooey. They had beady white eyes, all white no pupils or irises. The beasts had green stems sticking out of their gelatin forms. They seemed to be made of an orange yellow slime. They had makeshift mouths and arms. I recognized the beasts from my Datalog. Flan. More specifically called Flandragora. All I can do is scream before my chocobo throws me off and charges into battle with the Flandragora. Carson is on the ground now too, Azul running forward to assist my chocobo.

"Carson, stay here and don't move!" I demand to my younger brother, "I am going to fight the flan alright? You just stay here and keep your knife out!" Picking up my bow, I pull back the drawstring and charge forward.

My first arrow embeds itself into the jelly-like skin of one of the flandragora. It does little damage, the arrow only sinks in and is consumed by the flan. Acting quickly and without hesitation, I fire rapidly, shooting arrows into any flandragora I saw. The chocobos are fighting valiantly. Azul stomps her taloned feet several times before purple lightning arced down from the sky. A single bolt of lightning that blasted a flandragora in the head. It's head sunk into the flan's body, and slowly the flan deteriorated into nothing. Three more left. My black chocobo is clawing viciously with her talons. The flan she is battling has not yet been damaged, however. My chocobo lets out a "kweh" and magic begins to swirl around her and the flan. In an instant, a large wave of ugly green colored magic is sent across the area. The three remaining flandragora sway uneasily and soon ugly green bubbles appear above their heads.

The flan lose their minds. They begin to flee, running into each other and roots and vines around them. Azul casts another spell at one flandragora, this time it is a small ball of fire. The flan shrieks and explodes on contact. Two left. One of the flan melts into a horrible looking mesh and dies. The spell my chocobo cast had to have been something to do with poison. The last flan sinks back into the ground quickly.

I turn to make sure Carson is alright. That is when the last flan attacks. Erupting from the ground beneath him, the flandragora picks up Carson with one gooey hand and smacks me into a nearby tree. The breath is taken out of me. I can't breathe. My back aches. My bow is a couple feet away, at the base of the flandragora, which is now holding my little brother, whom I swore to myself I would protect. Azul cannot cast magic without harming Carson. The flandragora has the poison spell cast upon it. I begin to lose all hope. The thing will crush the life out of poor Carson before the poison spell takes its toll on the flan. And then my chocobo comes.

The black chocobo smashes into the side of the flan. The flandragora drops Carson, who lands onto his back, knocked out cold. Despite my own injuries, I crawl over to Carson and lay my hands on his chest. He is breathing. He is alive. I haven't failed. The chocobo and the flan are wrestling closer and closer to the edge of the rock path. Azul rushes forward to help her fellow chocobo, but it is to late. My chocobo- and the flandragora- topple off the side of the rock and into the lake below.

Azul howls in sadness. "Kwehhh! Kweeehhh!" There is nothing I can do but hold Carson in my arms. There is still one chocobo left, even if I hate her. We can ride together to Nautilus. We are about halfway there anyway.

Carson is still knocked out as I push him onto the back of the wailing chocobo. "Shut up you stupid bird!" I shout impatiently. "She's not coming back. The bird is dead." Azul tries to bite me with her sharp beak, but I don't think she was really planning on doing so. She misses by a lot, most likely on purpose. A warning to stop yelling at her.

Once Carson was onto Azul comfortably, I climbed onto her as well. I sat behind Carson, trapping him in my arms. I then kicked Azul, and she ran through the Sunleth Waterscape much faster. Still holding onto the unconscious Carson, I armed my left arm with my bow, just in case we ran into more trouble.

At last minute I check to see if Carson still has his survival knife. It is tucked into the belt holding up his soft brown pants. I sigh in relief. There are so many things in the world that I can't control. I try so hard to control everything. Always have. I don't blame Carson for claiming me to be 'boring' and a 'meanie'. I just want to keep him safe. I may not be able to control most things, but I will make sure Carson has _something _that he can protect himself with. Someone who can protect him. All he as right now is me and the stupid chocobo.

And whatever we find when we arrive in Nautilus. Hopefully Aunt Boco can be trusted, and all this is not a trap.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Ramuna

Nautilus hurts my eyes. All the lights, the people, the sounds. It is giving me a headache. The tall, sleek, black buildings are lit up with a million lights. The entire city is lit up with millions of lights. Thousands of people lingered around on just one street. The jewl of Nautilus is a huge casino with a tall, spiraling tower on the roof. Slot machines lined lots of the streets. Venders called out to people, begging them to buy their items. Plush toys, casino tickets, candies, clothing, you name it and the venders have it. Women walked among the people, dressed in skimpy clothes that were much to revealing. They held checkered race flags and were pointing people in the direction of a Velocycle race. Casino guides ran back and forth, pointing citizens and vacationers to new attractions and buildings. But what caught my eye was the large amount of Sanctum officials.

The Nautilus Security Regiment, Guardian Corps. They wore white helmets and red vests with white under armor. Every one of them held a dreadful machine gun, small and sleek, but deadly all the same. I have to make sure that Carson and I avoid all interactions with the guards. If the Sanctum found out about our whereabouts, or even our existence, we would have every soldier on Cocoon looking for us.

Carson is freaking out. "Wow! Look at all the lights! Look at that guy! He's got some kind of weird hat on! This place is sooo cool! No wonder they call it the City of Dreams!" Just as he said 'City of Dreams' a large show of fireworks erupted overtop Nautilus. They are colors that I didn't even know existed. This place is amazing. But I have to find Aunt Boco. And fast.

"Carson we need to find Aunt Boco, and then we can have fun okay?" Carson nods, although I do not think he is really paying attention. Taking his hand, I lead us through the enormous crowd.

I can see my reflection everywhere. My shoulder length black hair. My luminous green eyes. Even the paleness of my skin. My brown jacket is open, showing the pink shirt underneath. I also wear brown pants, the hems tucked into my black combat boots. Not very stylish, I know, but I'm on the run from my own government, what else am I supposed to wear?

We spend an hour looking for Aunt Boco. I am about to give up when I hear her familiar voice. She is standing back by the wall of a building, waving us over to her. I pull Carson over away from the vender he was looking at and begin to walk towards Aunt Boco. She then puts her index finger to her lips. _Shhhh, _I can almost hear her voice in my head, _you can't be noticed with me._

Glancing side to side, I see no Corps watching. I run with Carson to Aunt Boco, and she quickly sweeps us inside the building.

Aunt Boco, also known as Chocolina by the people of Nautilus and her customers, ushers us up a flight of stairs and into a loft apartment. There is not much in the loft. In the living room two couches faced each other with an end table between them. The kitchen was not really a kitchen, just a countertop with a sink, a stove, and a refrigerator. The bedroom door is closed so I can't see what is inside, but if its like the rest of the apartment, it must be very small.

Aunt Boco closes the door behind us, makes us take off our boots, and sits us on the couch. Carson and I sit on one, and Aunt Boco sits across from us on the other. "Is there anything I can get you? Food? Water?" Aunt Boco, or Chocolina, had black hair and blue eyes. She always wore an orange chocobo costume that was very revealing. She didn't have a beak to the costume, instead she had a rather stylish hat on that was in the shape of a Chocobo's head. Pink makeup covered her face.

"No we're fine Aunt Boco," I reply.

"Alright then," says Aunt Boco, "let's get down to business. First off, Ramuna I want you to explain everything to me up until now!"

And so I do. I tell Aunt Boco about the day Carson and I woke up to find the Pulse Brands. How I called Aunt Boco asking for help. The chocobos in the mail. The attack of the Silver Lobo, and then later the attack from the flandragora. I tell her about my bow and Carson's survival knife. And I tell her that we are completely ready to drop everything and go on the run. When I am finished, Aunt Boco only stares at us grimly. It is several minutes before she speaks.

"Can I- can I see the Brands?" she asks tentatively, "I am sorry but I have never seen a l'cie Brand before."

Carson pulls up his shirt and reveals the horrible mark. Like a permanent tattoo, the Brand was black against his pale skin. An odd symbol, composed of straight, heavy black lines that were uneven in length. I show her mine on the back of my neck.

"The Mark of the L'cie. The Symbol of Gran Pulse." Aunt Boco whispers, "I don't mean to worry you dearest Ramuna, but do you know the legends?"

"Aunt Boco I hardly think this is the sort of thing we should talk about in front of Carson!" I protest, but it is to late. Carson does not know the legends of the l'cie and ce'ith and the fal'cie. He knows the basics, what every boy his age should know, but I have sheltered him from the truth. Despite my protest, Aunt Boco tells us the legend.

"You both know how the fal'cie give us everything? From the light, to the food we eat, even the weather, there is a fal'cie that controls it. They are gods to us. They care and nurture us as if we are pets. But I am not complaining. Without the fal'cie, we humans are nothing. There are two types of fal'cie, however. The fal'cie that control everything on the floating paradise, our world Cocoon, are in corroboration from our government, the Sanctum. These fal'cie are known as Sanctum Fal'cie. Then there are the fal'cie that control the lowerworld of Gran Pulse. That wicked horrible land that is teeming with monsters. Uncivilized and abandond, the fal'cie that control Gran Pulse are wild and untamed. Like the monsters who live on Pulse. These fal'cie are known as Pulse Fal'cie.

"The Sanctum Fal'cie and the Pulse Fal'cie are always at war. Their powers are almost equal, however, so the two parties of fal'cie do little damage to one another. In order to combat each other, fal'cie enchant humans to do their bidding. These enchanted humans are known as l'cie. A l'cie is Branded by the fal'cie that enchants him or her. You and Carson have been chosen by some Pulse Fal'cie to fight for Gran Pulse.

"When a fal'cie Brands a l'cie, you are shown a hazy glimpse of the future. A future that you have to complete. This is called your Focus. If you fail your focus, you turn into a horrible monster known as a ce'ith. The ce'ith are always in agony, a sort of never ending torture. You would endlessly wander the worlds as a monster until some soul put you out of your misery. However if you complete your focus, you will be turned to crystal and will be granted eternal life.

"The Brand acts as a timer for l'cie. A red eye will soon begin to appear in the middle of the Brand. When the eye is completely open, your time is up and you have failed your focus. Carson, Ramuna, you have to complete your focus before the eye opens, or you will turn into a ce'ith."

Carson stares open mouthed at Aunt Boco. This is to much for him. He is only twelve. He dosn't deserve this. What kind of sick, twisted Fal'cie would do this to a little boy? I am seventeen. I can handle this. Carson is to young.

"How are we supposed to do this?" Carson asks, "I'm just- I'm only twelve and all I have is a Chocobo and a survival knife!"

"You have me," I say quickly. I lay a comforting hand on Carson's back. "And Carson, I have my bow as well. We can do this."

"You also have magic on your side, something that humans cannot normally use!" Aunt Boco puts in excitedly, "When a human becomes a l'cie, along with getting the Brand, they also get new powers. Great agility, strength, and magic, as well as incredible speed and precision."

I am happy to hear Aunt Boco comforting us, but it still does not help our situation. She has done so much for us already, and I have to ask her for more. "Aunt Boco what should we do? We don't even know what our focus is! We both saw the same image, but we don't know what to do!"

"Well," says Aunt Boco, rising off of the couch, "I am going to help you the best I can before I set you off on your own. First I am going to replace your lost chocobo, Ramuna. Chocobos are extremly loyal creatures and they are a huge help when transportation is concerned. His name is Peck. I think you will find him to be more protective than your last one.

"You also need to understand combat roles. In the armies of Pulse and Sanctum l'cie, everybody has a role in combat. There are six roles: Commando, Ravager, Sentinel, Synergist, saboteur, and Medic. A Commando is an overall leader and fighter. This l'cie uses little magic. A Ravager is a offensive magic caster, more commonly known as a black mage. They cast spells that are foccused on dealing damage. The Sentinel is a guardian. He or she protects other people with powerful defensive abilities. The Synergist is a true helper. He or she casts spells that enchant weapons and create effects to aid you in combat. The saboteur is just the opposite. He or she creates enchantments and spells that weaken your enemies and damage them in a longer term. Finally, the Medic is a healer. Healing spells are the profession a Medic.

"Having a role in combat makes fighting a lot more easier darlings trust me," Aunt Boco gestures to me, "Ramuna, I think you will make an excellent Commando! With a little training, why you could take on any army official!" Aunt Boco turns to Carson next, "Carson you should try practicing magic, just like your chocobo. You could become a great Ravager in time."

"Why would Carson need a combat role?" I ask. It is a stupid question I know, but I am so protective over him. I don't plan on Carson being in any combat situations.

"Ramuna you need to realize that Carson is a l'cie as well, and he will need to defend himself!" Aunt Boco says strictly. Her hands are on her hips when she speaks. She is like the mother I never had. Besides that she is sending us out into the world as l'cie with nothing but two chocobos and some gil. As if she could hear my thoughts, Aunt Boco smirks and says to me, "Oh no, Ramuna you have the wrong idea! I am not sending just the two of you alone on this quest!"

With that, Aunt Boco walks towards her bedroom door and opens it. She goes into the bedroom for a few minutes and emerges with a boy about my age. I am so shocked all I can do is stare.

Right before me is the most amazing person I have ever met. My best friend. The one person I could not bear to leave behind in Palumpolum. He helped me provide for Carson all these years. I will never forget his face. I will never forget _him_.

"Ramuna, this young man says he knows you and Carson pretty well," says Aunt Boco, "his name is Thane Collins, but I'm sure you already know that!"

I stare at Thane. Of course I know him, I spent half my life with him. He helped me take care of Carson. He defended us when I couldn't. I recognize his beautiful, angular face. His short blonde hair curling at the ends. Those green eyes that I had spent so many years gazing into. Part of me wanted to rush toward him and hug him. It wouldn't be the first time. Everyday before he went home I would hug Thane and tell him thank you for all he did for us. I can still recall those arms of his wrapped around me. The way I always wrapped my arms around his neck. How he pressed me against his hard, muscular body, caging me in. The warmth of his body against mine, his breath on my neck. I cannot forget how gently he touches me, and how quietly he releases me and returns home.

For several long minutes, all I can do is stare open-mouthed at Thane. He does the same. I cannot tell his emotions from his face, like I normally can. Aunt Boco finally says, "Well Carson let's find something you can sleep on while Thane and Ramuna talk!" She ushers Carson into the bedroom and closes the door.

Thane takes two small steps towards me. He then spreads open his arms, and I run into them. He wraps his arms around me and buries his face in my neck. For some reason, I begin to cry. I guess I never really realized how much I missed him over the past few days.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Thane asks, speaking to my neck rather to my face.

"I didn't want you to think I was a monster, I'm so so so sorry! Thane I missed you so much!" I ramble on.

Thane cups my face in one of his hands and looks into my eyes. I look into his beautiful green eyes, whom I have not seen in what seems like an eternity. "You should know I would never think that of you," he says quietly, almost a whisper, "Ramuna we can figure this out together. I will protect you and Carson, like I always have!"

"No!" I manage to say through my crying, "I can't bring you into this, if the Sanctum discovers that you are helping a Pulse l'cie, they'll kill you!"

"And if the Sanctum discovers you, they will kill you to!" Thane argues back, "Face it Ramuna I'm not leaving you!"

_Oh Thane,_ I think to myself_, If only you knew what you were getting yourself into! This isn't like it was back in Palumpolum, this is life or death! And I can't...I can't... I can't live without you! _I realize that what I had thought, I had actually said aloud. My cheeks flush with embarrassment.

"I know exactly what I am doing Ramuna," Thane assures me. Despite the gentleness in his voice I still continue to cry. Thane walks me over to one of the couches and sits me down. He takes my hands in his and says to me, "Ramuna I can't live without you either!"

"But you did," I cry, "You have a life, back in Palumpolum! You have a family and a home! My life is over now that I am a l'cie!" I expect Thane to counter this, but instead he laughs. "Why are you laughing?"

"What life?" Thane looks into my eyes once more, and for the first time since I saw him today, I see emotion in his eyes. They speak of sorrow, of pain. And all seriousness. "Ramuna, you and Carson are my life. Why do you think I came to help you everyday! To hang out with my best friend and her little brother? No! I came to see you and Carson, because...because...I love you."

He said it. He actually said it. I cannot control my feelings, my thoughts, and my words. I stumble out, "You love me?"

"And Carson, but I don't love him in the way I love you! I love him like a little brother, like a son. He might as well be, the way you and I have looked after him. I'm eighteen, Ramuna. For 10 years I have been looking after you and Carson, everyday of every month of every year! Because I love you! I feel so strongly for you, I cannot stay away from you Ramuna. That's why I came everyday. That's why I'm still here, right now. I will never leave you. I will protect you and Carson if it's the last thing I do. _Because I love you!_"

There is no way for me to reply to that. I can only say one thing to Thane, "I love you too Thane."

And then we kiss. He presses his soft, warm lips to mine and cups my face in his hands. I wrap my arms around him and pull myself closer to him, feeling the warmth of his body and his hard muscles against me. I do not know how long we kiss, but it is Aunt Boco who breaks us up.

Thane sits off to the side of the couch looking rather embarrassed but quite pleased. My face is red, I know it, I can feel the blood rushing to my head. Aunt Boco leads me into the bedroom. Carson is lying on a cot, making kissy faces at me. I scowl at him and look at another cot.

"Get some sleep, Ramuna," says Aunt Boco gently, "If the cot isn't comfortable you can move into my bed. I'll see you in the morning."

Aunt Boco leaves the room and I lay on the cot. Just before I close my eyes, Thane sneaks into the room and hugs me. He kisses my cheek and tells me good night. Thane then goes over to Carson and hugs him as well. Leaving the room and shutting the door behind him, the room is plunged into darkness. I feel safer now, though. I feel like Carson is safer as well. With Thane here, I feel complete. I was stupid to attempt to leave him behind.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Carson

I wake up the next morning feeling rather exhausted. I really should, what with traveling through the Sunleth Waterscape and mingling around Nautilus for an hour. My brain is exhausted as well. So much information. So much facts and new people, I can't process it all. Shifting in Aunt Boco's bed, I must have moved there over the night, I reach for my survival knife on the table. I flip out the blade and swing it around for a while. I really hope that I will never have to use this, I truly do. But how cool would it be to gut somebody with a small knife like this?

"Practicing?" Ramuna comes into the bedroom and stands in front of the bed, "Maybe you should get out of bed to practice, silly."

"Hey we're l'cie now," I say back, in all seriousness, "Shouldn't we be training or something?"

"First, we're going to eat breakfast," says Ramuna, striding over to the cot she slept on last night. She reaches into her pack and draws out her Datalog. I always love it when she buys items and reads information on it. It is absolutely amazing what technology can do. "Then we are going to discuss strategy with Aunt Boco and Thane."

"Oooh, Thane!" I joke with my older sister, making more kissy faces. I really should not joke with her about Thane. I remember, when we were leaving Palumpolum, she cried as we passed his house. I couldn't say anything to her. What was I really supposed to say? We are l'cie now, enemies of everybody on the paradise in the sky, Cocoon.

Ramuna scowls at me, much like she did last night, and leaves the bedroom. I get out of the bed and clothe myself with the same blue T-shirt and brown pants. I put on my knife belt and tuck my survival knife into one of the pockets. I then leave the bedroom and close the door behind me.

"Good morning Carson!" Aunt Boco addresses me. For once, she is not wearing that ridiculous chocobo costume. Instead she wears a bright purple pajama outfit. She stands over a stove and cooks eggs. Ramuna is sitting in the living room on one of the couches. Thane sits next to her, one arm around her and his head bent close. They seem to be engaged in a conversation. Ramuna is holding her Datalog and is punching in numbers and letters.

I sit on the other couch and Aunt Boco brings over a plate of eggs for each of us, and then sits next to me on the couch. I tear into the eggs. They are delicious. I may just be hungry from the long journey from Palumpolum, however. I was pretty angry when Ramuna denied Aunt Boco's offer of food last night.

After several minutes of silence, Thane finally speaks up. "Alright so Ramuna, Carson, why don't you guys tell us what your vision was? What is your focus? Every l'cie gets a hazy image of what their focus is when they are Branded, so what did you see?"

It was Ramuna who spoke first. "Well at first it was more like a dream. Everything was in color. Carson and I were floating in this expansive place. It was like we were in outer space, everything was black and it seemed to go on forever. Then this huge construct appeared with these long tendrils of wire hanging all over it. They wrapped around Carson and I. One of the tendrils clung to the back of my neck and I felt a burning sensation. Then everything went black. I woke up to find the Brand on my neck."

"That must have been the Branding process," says Aunt Boco, "What about when you woke up? You saw the future right? What the Pulse Fal'cie want?"

"Yeah," I say, "Me and Ramuna-"

"Ramuna and I, darling," Aunt Boco corrects.

"Ramuna and I," I say impatiently, "had the same vision. It was black and white, like watching an old film. A _very_ old film. I saw a robed figure, huge like it was a fal'cie or something, and then I saw a large Pulse warship. I saw a shimmering portal. And that was it. Could our focus be something like, 'destroy this fal'cie' or something?"

Thane types some things into Ramuna's Datalog for a while. Ramuna and I have nothing else to say. Aunt Boco says, "It doesn't ring any bells, the fal'cie I mean. Most fal'cie are large metal things that don't wear clothing. If its a Sanctum fal'cie, I don't recognize it."

"There's nothing in the Datalog archives about a robed Sanctum fal'cie," Thane adds, "Maybe its a Pulse fal'cie?"

"Why would a Pulse fal'cie send l'cie to destroy another of its own kind?" Ramuna asks. None of this makes sense to me. There was so much in that one hazy image. The robed thing. The Pulse warship. The portal. The only thing that makes sense to me is the destruction of the robed figure.

"Whats the deal with the Pulse warship? Did it look like this?" Thane asks, holding out the Datalog so everyone could see. On the touch screen device was an image of a huge aircraft. The aircraft was long and dark purple in color. The front was in a cone-like shape, and there was a huge opening in which missiles could be fired out of.

"Yes that is exactly it!" I yell excitedly. "Where did you find that?"

"It's on display in Eden, part of a memorial from the War of Transgression." Thane replies.

"War of Transgression?" I wonder aloud.

"During the early days of Cocoon's founding," Ramuna began, "The Sanctum and Pulse fal'cie war was at a stalemate. For the first time, Gran Pulse was in equal power with Cocoon. The only thing standing in the way of the armies of Gran Pulse was Cocoon's protective shell. So the Pulse fal'cie devised a plan to destroy the shell. They created two l'cie, who turned into a huge monstrosity known as Ragnorok, and cracked Cocoon's mighty shell. To this day, Cocoon has a huge hole in the exterior of her shell, a lasting reminder of the War of Transgression."

"So who won?" I ask, rather stupidly.

"Obviously the Sanctum won you silly goose!" yells Aunt Boco, "But only because when Ragnorok cracked the shell, it sent a cosmic wave all throughout Gran Pulse, and every city, every person, was killed. Gran Pulse now lies deserted and uncivilized. Only savage beasts rome the lands. It is a death sentence to go there."

"This event became known as the War of Transgression," finished Ramuna, "We have a problem. This warship- its in the middle of Eden! The capital of Cocoon! The seat of the Sanctum! They are not going to let two l'cie Branded by Pulse just waltz right in!"

"Then we won't waltz!" Thane says. He sets down the Datalog on the table and stands up. He begins to pace back and forth and talk quickly. "We'll find another way in, we can do this. As long as your Brands are covered and you don't cast magic, we won't be discovered!"

Ramuna reclines back in the couch. She crosses her arms, lost in thought. I lace my hands together and twirl my thumbs. I, of course, am all for Thane's plan of barging into Eden. Aunt Boco picks up the Datalog and begins to search something.

"The next aircraft to Eden leaves this evening. There is an airport right here in Nautilus!" Aunt Boco chimes.

Thane moves over to Ramuna and sits next to her. He takes her hands in his, he seems to do that a lot, and whispers to her. I don't know what he is saying, but I can see Ramuna's face changing with emotion. She is relaxing. Thane is persuading her to agree with his plan. It must have worked because Thane stopped whispering and Ramuna said, "This Pulse warship is the only lead we have, and we can't let it go. The faster we get to Eden and check it out, the faster we can finish our focus."

"What happens if we run into trouble?" I ask, "We have to be able to defend ourselves! And neither of us know how to cast magic."

Thane says encouraged, "We'll figure it out when we get in that situation, but for now, you, Ramuna, and I are just visiting an attraction in Eden, ok?"

Ramuna stands up and wanders into the bedroom. She closes the door behind her. "Whats wrong with her?" Aunt Boco says.

"You know Ramuna, she's very protective and she wants to avoid conflict," Thane supplies, "Don't worry, she'll cheer up soon."

Aunt Boco picks up our plates and heads into the kitchen. I look at Thane out of the corner of my eyes. He isn't really who I would expect my older sister to fall in love with. Sure he's cool and everything, but that's just it. He's cool! And my sister is lame. Whatever he sees in her, I don't know. Sensing my increased awareness of him, Thane asks me if anything is wrong.

"No, I just...I want to..." I don't want to say it. Ramuna already thinks I'm to immature to handle combat. I don't want her to have another reason to think me immature and incapable.

"What is it, Carson? You know you can tell me anything." Thane says. I don't know what it is about him, but he is the kind of guy you just want to _tell_ things to. Like he was born to be a councilor of some sorts.

"I want to learn magic," I mumble.

Thane only laughs and says, "Don't worry Carson, I have a feeling that you will get enough magic by the end of all this."

"When? I'm a l'cie! When do I get to do all the l'cie stuff like running from PSICOM and casting magic and summoning Eidolons!" I ramble on and on. Thane blinks at me surprisingly.

"You know about Eidolons?" He sounds truly surprised.

_Crap_, I think, _I said way to much. _Thane can't figure out what I'm doing. He can't. If Thane figures it out, he will surely tell Ramuna.

"Of course, they are so cool! The way l'cie summon them and how they transform into vehicles and stuff... Everybody knows about Eidolons..." Thane is very thought ridden. He is on to me. I know it.

Before Thane can investigate my knowledge of Eidolons, Aunt Boco comes back into the living room and tells us to pack our things. I let out the breath I was holding in. That was close. To close.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Ramuna

Nautilus Airport is packed with people. There is only three flights, one to Eden, one to Palumpolum, and one to Bresha. Most people are boarding the flights to Bresha, I hear the lake is beautiful this time of the year. Of course, it all depends on how the fal'cie are feeling. I don't know what I'm saying. The fal'cie control everything. There is no year. Only the feelings of a fal'cie.

Carson follows closely behind me. Ever since Thane told me about Carson's comment on Eidolons, I have been keeping an even closer eye on him. I don't know how he could have found out about Eidolons. They are really rare myths. Most l'cie never survive long enough to capture an Eidolon. Carson must have stolen my Datalog when I wasn't paying attention. Either way, Eidolons are extremely dangerous and if Carson knows about them, it can't be good.

Aunt Boco left us this morning. She said that a constant flow of gil would be uploaded to my Datalog for our use. She also reminded us that my new chocobo, Peck, is in Nautilus Park, with Azul. All I have to do is ask the gatekeeper to give them to us. After this morning however, Carson and I may never see Aunt Boco again. We said our good-byes. We are prepared to be parted forever. Thane leads us through the crowd. I find it very attractive, how he takes lead in almost every situation. I really don't know what I would do without him.

My pack is slung across my body, the strap cutting diagnoly across my chest and the pack hanging to my left. My bow is slung on my right shoulder. Carson's survival knife is safely tucked into his kife belt. It is kind of funny. He has an entire belt around his waist created for holding multiple throwing knives, but he only keeps one knife. And it isn't even a throwing knife.

I begin to panic when I see the first PSICOM official. The Sanctum military is composed of two main branches, the Guardian Corps and PSICOM (Public Safety and Intelligence Commission). The Guardian Corps are like the common police in major cities and in wilderness zones. PSICOM deals with direct threats from Gran Pulse, like l'cie. If PSICOM officials were here, they may have discovered Carson and I.

Thane leads us to the Eden terminal. We are stopped by two PSICOM officers. "PSICOM Warden," Thane whispers into my ear, "Don't worry, they are the weakest and most untrained of the PSICOM troops. We can handle them easily if it comes to a fight."

"Let's hope it doesn't," I say back.

The Warden wear a bronze, gold, and green uniform. The overlapping yellow armor plates make them look imposing, as well as the machine guns they carried. Every PSICOM officer in combat also wears a helment. It looks like a gas mask, with glowing yellow lights behind the eye spaces and tubes leading to the mouth. PSICOM likes to make the public of Cocoon think that l'cie are contagious, and that anybody around them should be immediatly 'cured'. More like 'executed'.

"Official business only," says one of the Warden, his voice sounding as though he is talking from the other line of a radio, "Military drills in Eden. I'm sorry but if you're not of..." The officer looks Thane, Carson and I over, "Importance... then I am forced to ask you to leave."

"Why can't we pass? What's going on in Eden?" Thane says.

"The Sanctum is locating an old Pulse Warship to the Vile Peaks. The Primarch says it holds a threat to the great city of Eden." The Warden turns to the other and asks for a clipboard. After it is retrieved he asks us for our names.

"Thane Collins," says Thane, taking leadership again, "This is Ramuna and Carson Collins. My younger brother and my wife."

I look at Thane, shocked. He knew that Carson and I didn't have a last name to go by, since we were orphans, but I expected him to make something up. Instead he called me his wife and Carson his younger brother.

The soldier looks us over again and consults the clipboard. "I'm sorry but I see no 'Collins' on here, looks like you'll have to wait until the transportation of the Pulse Warship is complete."

Thane says thank-you and leads us away from the Warden. Once we are out of earshot, he says quickly, "This can't be a coincidence. You guys become l'cie and your vision has something to do with a Pulse Warship. Then the Primarch of the Sanctum declares the only remaining Warship in existence to be moved to the Sanctum's junkyard! You have to get to that Warship!"

"Yeah but the flights to Eden have been canceled!" Carson reminds Thane. "We have to find a different way to Eden, and its not like we can ride chocobos there! Its floating in the sky!"

"What if we wait at the Vile Peaks until the Warship is moved there?" I suggest.

"We might be too late! Who knows if the Sanctum is really moving it to the Vile Peaks? That might just be a ruse for the public!" Thane looks from the terminal to us. I get the feeling he is planning something. Something I probably won't like. "I have an idea," he says finally.

"Do share, loverboy," Carson says. Thane and I blush. Why does he have to joke like that?

"I think...I think we should reveal you and Carson as l'cie, Ramuna."

I immediately protest. "Are you crazy Thane? What makes you think that will work?"

"If you get caught, PSICOM will transport you to Eden, and then we can escape!" Thane shouts crazily. He is crazy. He has actually gone crazy. I stare at him, completely dumb-founded by his insane plan.

"Lets do it!" Carson shouts.

"Alright," Thane reaches into the black jacket he is wearing. He also wears a gray T-shirt, an empty weapons belt, as well as black pants and boots. From a pocket in his jacket he draws out of black spherical object.

_Hand Grenade_, pops into my head instantly. I grab Thane's hand desperately. "You can't be serious right now? You really want us to get caught?"

Thane sighs and takes my other hand. He looks into my eyes and leans close to me, "Don't worry Ramuna, no matter what happens I _will_ protect you and Carson."

"This plan is insane," I mutter and Thane smirks, "Carson follow me closely, ok? PSICOM is sure to bring out guns. I have to make sure that we at least don't get harmed."

Carson nods quickly, eyes brimming with excitement. I don't understand him, I really don't. I will never understand what makes him so excited about possible danger and near death situations.

I draw out and extend my bow, which is the last thing I do before Thane pulls the pin and throws the grenade towards the Eden terminal.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Carson

BOOM! The grenade explodes right at the roof of the Eden terminal, and the two PSICOM Warden are immediately knocked out by falling debris. Citizens of Nautilus run back and forth and shelter themselves in anyway possible for fear of another attack. They were right to do so. Thane is already reaching into his pocket for another grenade. Ramuna stares around like a lunatic, the drawstring of her bow pulled back. Just to make myself look threatening, I take out my knife and flip open the blade with my index finger. Thane throws the next grenade back at the already ruined Eden terminal. BOOM!

The Eden terminal is now unrecognizable. Flames danced up the white walls and the now dead PSICOM Warden lay under a huge pile of rubble. Scared citizens began to run out of the Airport now, completely avoiding us on the way. So much chaos! I relish the thrill I am getting. The adrenaline. I still can't understand how someone as cool as Thane can be my older sister's boyfriend!

Then the first spray of gunfire rebounds off the walls behind us. Ramuna screams and fires her first arrow, and then her second, and then she fires the arrows to fast for me to count. I see what she is firing at and I freak. Fifteen PSICOM Warden run into the Airport, firing at us without hesitation.

"This wasn't part of the plan!" screams Ramuna, taking out two Warden with a volley of arrows. The Warden fire at us unrelentlessly. Thane ducks behind a nearby counter to shield himself from the bullets. Ramuna and I follow.

"They don't know you are a l'cie," informs Thane, "they think you some common terrorists or something!"

"How can we prove that we are l'cie?" I yell of the rapid machine gun fire.

The Warden are closing in on us. I fear that we may be surrounded soon. And then nothing will stop them from gunning us down. I may die. This airport in Nautilus, this place may be where I die. Suddenly the thrill that I had is gone. Like a short high, the feelings of adreneline are gone. My body is filled with fear now.

"Cast magic or something!" Thane yells. He reaches into his jacket pocket one last time, to bring out his last grenade, and throws it over the counter. I hear the BOOM and retract, covering my ears. That was close. I hear the cries of the PSICOM Warden and the rubble falling from the blast.

Ramuna, taking advantage of the distraction from the last grenade, stands up and fires arrows rapidly into the Warden. I cannot see how many she takes down, but when she returns to safety behind the counter she looks mildly impressed with herself.

"Retreat and regroup!" yells one Warden. I hear the running of footsteps on the tile floor.

Thane tentatively looks over the counter, and then stands up and vaults over it. "Come on we have to get out of here!"

Ramuna and I follow, Ramuna muttering, "I told you it was an insane plan!"

I survey my surroundings as I follow Thane. What was once a bustling airport is now as ruined battlefield. A large crater occupies the center part of the white tiled floor. Chunks of tile and concrete are permeated across the airport. The Eden terminal is up in flames, and is completely caved in. Several Warden bodies are scattered on the floor, blood leaking from underneath their bodies. Most of them have a glowing yellow arrow stuck in them, while others are surrounded by fallen debris. _They must have been struck, _I note to myself.

Thane leads us through a maze of hallways. Ramuna doesn't bother to ask where we are going, and neither do I. Ramuna runs backwards, her bow drawn, ready for the first sign of trouble behind us. Thane takes out a small knife and covers our front, and I stay in the middle of them. _I am such a help, _I think to myself sarcastically.

Ramuna gasps and fires her bow quickly. I turn just as one of the Warden following us hits the ground with an arrow in his head. There are three others, which are quickly taken out by Ramuna. I have to admit, Ramuna is a very good shot.

In front of me, I see the hallway ending with a large door. We must first pass through an intersection of four other hallways, however. As we pass through the intersection, I am suddenly tackled to the ground by a Warden. Thane is grabbed by four Warden, two holding on to each arm. Ramuna is hit in the head with the butt of a machine gun as she turns. She falls to the ground, blood welling up on her forehead.

"RAMUNA!" Thane screams desperately. He struggles against the four Warden, but they are too strong for him. I am lifted off the ground by the Warden. He then wraps his arm around my neck as another Warden approaches us in the intersection.

No, he is not a Warden. This soldier wears the same uniform, but does not carry a machine gun. Instead, he holds a flashy metal baton, curved and sharpened at the point. It is more like a mini-sickle. I recognize this PSICOM officer as an Enforcer.

"Did you really think you outrun PSICOM?" gloats the Enforcer. He strides around Thane, circling him and patting the baton under his chin. "Tell me, terrorists, why have you attacked the Nautilus Airport?"

"We are not terrorists!" Thane shouts, "We are l'cie!"

The Enforcer only laughs. "Oh? L'cie? Then where are your Brands? How come you have not cast magic yet?" Thane is silent. The Enforcer strides over to Ramuna's unconscious body. He nudges her bloody head with his boot. "Such a shame..." The Enforcer pretends to be sad, "She is so beautiful. I would really hate to kill such a beautiful creature..."

Thane rushes forward, only to be thrown back against the wall and held onto again. "DON'T YOU TOUCH HER! I WILL KILL YOU IF YOU TOUCH HER!"

"Oh? And how will you kill me if you are dead before she is?" The Warden laugh. The Enforcer merely chuckles at this. "Don't worry, if you truly are a l'cie, you could just heal her up when I'm done with her!" The Enforcer reaches down with his baton raised.

I have only a split second to think, with all my might, on one spell. Azul has used it multiple times when fighting. Why can't I? With all my being, all my might, and all my strength, I think the only spell that comes to my mind: _thunder. _Instantly, multiple bolts of purple lightning rains down from the ceiling and hit every single Warden. They fall to the ground, black and scorched from the waist up.

The Enforcer is startled. He looks up in surprise to see all of his fellow soldiers dead, and Thane charging forward. The Enforcer is tackled onto the floor. Thane wrestles the baton from his grasp. The Enforcer puches Thane in ribs. With Thane howling in pain, the PSICOM officer rolled ontop of him. Taking the baton back into his possession, the Enforcer raises it once more, this time in attempt to kill Thane.

I think again on another spell, this time not as hard. _Fire. _I hold out my hand, palm up, as a small ball of flame flies from my palm and into the Enforcer. The Enforcer is instantly engulfed in flames. He screams and cries pleads of help. Thane rolls the screaming soldier off of his body. Soon, the Enforcer does not move, and all that is left of him is the remains of an old army uniform and ash.

Thane stands up and says to me, "Looks like you already know some magic!"

"Beginner's luck," I shrug. Thane shoves the baton into his weapons belt and picks Ramuna up, holding her with both his arms.

"Lets go!" He yells.

I follow him once more down the hall and out the doors. We appear in a Nautilus back ally. The sun shines high overhead and the light gleams off of the high, metal buildings. I hear footsteps behind me, and footsteps in front of me. We will be cornered soon in this narrow ally.

There is no place for us to run. The soldiers come up on both sides of the ally. They raise their guns. I cry out in exhaustion. We had just escaped these people! I begin to think that all hope is lost, and that Thane, Ramuna, and I will die a horrible death because of a bad decision.

And then several grey orbs of light come raining down from the sky, hitting each of the soldiers. The orbs explode into a white mist on contact, and the soldiers fly back several feet. None of them move.

The grey orbs cease to fall once the soldiers are all dead. A robed and hooded figure jumps down from a nearby building, landing perfectly in a crouched position. The robe is white, and I can see broze armor from underneath the folds. In his right hand, the person holds a sword with a long, rectangular blade that is black with blue swirling designs decorating it.

The person stands up, and a male voice says from beneath the hood, "Trust me, I am a l'cie as well." He holds up his hand and in the palm I see his Brand. The hood obscures his face, masking it in shadow. By the sound of his voice, however, he sounds very old.

Thane rushes forward, still carrying Ramuna in his arms. "She needs help, and fast! What do you suggest we do?"

"Follow me," says the mysterious man.

And so we do. The man runs us through a maze of alleys. Thane struggles while carrying Ramuna. I have to admit, he is pretty strong. I hear gunfire behind us. I begin to panic. The man leads us through the maze of alleys quickly, without hesitation or glance backward. He acts though he knows the area.

Two Warden rush forward in front of the man. I think I hear him say something like "ruin" under his breath, and then several more grey orbs erupt from the palm of his hand, taking out the Warden and causing them to fly backward several feet. With our way clear again, we continue forward.

"Run faster," demands the man. I already know that Thane is struggling to run and carry Ramuna at the same time, but he does as the man says and runs faster, his face red and brimming with sweat. His blonde hair clings to his head and his footsteps seem louder. My own chest is starting to hurt. My breathing becomes more and more heavy. My arms feel weak, and I am not even carrying anything. The man doesn't break a sweat, though. I get the feeling that he has had years of training. A trained l'cie.

As we approach the end of an ally, I see the large Main Street of Nautilus. Several airships fly over us. Speakers attached bellow out warnings to citizens, "ATTENTION ALL CITIZENS OF NAUTILUS! THIS IS NOT A DRILL! IMMEDIATE EVACUATION REQUIRED! PLEASE TRAVEL TO THE NEAREST PSICOM CORPORATION BUILDING OR GUARDIAN CORPS STATION AND FIND SAFETY! REPEAT: THIS IS NOT A DRILL!"

Main Street is packed with citizens, rushing forward to the Jewel of Nautilus, the Spiraling Casino. Outside the casino entrance I can see both soldiers of PSICOM and of the Nautilus Security Regiment (Guardian Corps).

The man leads us into the crowd, and the Warden that had been pursuing us now wander back and forth. We have blended into the crowd entirely. A woman looking about the age of 26 with short, bright purple hair approaches the white robed man.

"Victoria," says the man to the woman, "Is the portal ready?"

The woman, Victoria, replies, "Yes, Master Achilles." Nodding, the man whose name is apparently Achilles leads us once again with Victoria following behind. We eventually come to yet another alley. There is a shimmering green wall of energy here, however. Victoria steps into the wall and disappears immediately.

"Where are we going?" Thane asks protectively.

"Don't you trust me?" Achilles asks.

"No."

Achilles merely laughs. His voice is rich, yet it definitely reveals his age. He has got to be at least seventy. "Well," Achilles says, "You can question my honor, or we can step through the portal and try to save your little friend."

Ramuna's head is bleeding much faster now. Her entire head is caked with blood, as well as Thane's arms. Thane meets my eyes with his and nods his head in the direction of the portal. I trust him. WIth an assuring look from Thane, I step into the shimmering wall, hoping that this man, Achilles, won't try and kill us when we arrive to... wherever we are going.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Ramuna

I slowly open my eyes. I cannot tell where I am. I do not recognize this place at all. Thane sits next to me on a metal stool, holding my hand. The cot I lay on is flimsy and small. There is a bandage wrapped around my head, which has a pounding headache. I sit up and Thane puts his other hand on my shoulder.

"Take it easy," he says quietly, "That Warden hit you hard." I lay back down and Thane gently strokes my head with his thumb.

"Where's Carson? What happened?" I quickly sputter out. Thane hushes me and begins to recall what happened at the Nautilus Airport.

"After you were hit, the Warden captured us and held us there until an Enforcer came. He nearly killed you, but Carson cast some pretty epic magic and we escaped. We didn't get far before we were surrounded by Warden again. Then this man, Achilles, jumped down and saved us. He is a L'cie too, and he has a way we can continue our focus, but lets not talk about that now. He took us to a portal and we teleported here." Thane releases my hand and points across the large room we are in. Carson is asleep on another cot. I can only see the back of his head, the rest of his body is wrapped tightly in a white blanket, including his face. "He's fine, Ramuna," Thane adds with an encouraging smile.

One of the things I love about Thane, his smile. I love how it radiates warmth. How it encourages and empowers me. It is like an extension of his personality is reaching into me and calming me from the inside. I reach up and wrap my arms around his neck and pull him closer. Thane presses his warm lips to mine and kisses me, his left hand sliding through my hair. Thane pulls away. "I love you." He whispers, "I don't know what I would have done if that Enforcer would have killed you. Probably would have turned into some kind of big green monster and squashed them all in my rage."

I laugh and joke, "I'm supposed to be the monster, remember?"

"You are not a monster," Thane says, "You are Ramuna. Nothing less than perfect for me. The girl I love, and the girl who I would give my life for at any second."

I look away from Thane momentarily. As if sensing my unease, Thane asks me whats wrong. I look at him again and answer, "That's what I'm afraid of."

"Afraid of what?" Thane questions.

"You dying for me," I mutter, "I don't want you to die for me. How do you think I would have felt if I would have woken up to find not only the Enforcer dead, but you and Carson as well? I don't want to put you in this kind of danger. I don't want to see you dead, and I don't want Carson to have to rely on himself all the time. I have to protect him. How can I protect him if I'm too weak to even escape a fight?"

Thane gently strokes my cheek and laughs. "But you were great, before we were _ambushed_. Emphasis on the word 'ambush'. That means that you could not have stopped it. I saw you take down those Warden as we were running. You are a good shot, Ramuna. You can protect yourself. And with a little training, you can protect Carson as well. For now, just focus on yourself, okay? Carson is going to be training in magic. And as for me, we've been over this before. I am not leaving you. Ever." And then he smiles again. And then we kiss again.

I struggle to sit up so I can take a better look at my surroundings, ignoring Thane's protests. Once I am up and comfortable, I take in the impressive new area. It is a large metal room. The entire place is made out of this dull gray-yellow metal. Several tables and cots are spread throughout the room. Some of the cots have sleeping people on them, some are vacant. On the tables are various medical supplies. I notice green bottles of Potions, red Phoenix Down, and multiple vials of blue Antidotes. There are bandages and surgical tools, as well as various notebooks and medical tomes. On the far side of the room, near where Carson sleeps, is a large entryway that looks as though it was made for transportation of large objects. I think that this room wasn't meant to be a medical center, but I assume that whomever set up this place intended it to be a make shift sort of Hospital. "Umm... Thane?" I ask, "What is this place, exactly?"

Thane opens his mouth to respond, but before any sound comes out somebody else speaks. It is a much older, wiser voice. "Welcome to the Third Ark!" Thane turns so I can see the speaker. It is an old man with short white hair and a trimmed white beard. Despite his age, he is very muscular. He wears white robes, under which is bronze armour. There are several scars on his hands and face; there one very prominent on his face that runs from his left eye, to his right temple, down through his right eye, to the right corner of his lips, up to his nose. I wonder what had given him that scar.

"Ah! I see you have awaken!" says the old man. He strides towards my cot and continues to introduce himself. "My name is Achilles. I am a l'cie like you and Carson. Actually, everybody in this place is a l'cie. I am their leader, their mentor, their instructor, whichever you prefer." Achilles stops at the foot of my cot.

"Why did you help us? And prove that you are a l'cie." I ask, not intending it to be harsh.

"It is my Focus," replies Achilles, he also held out his hand so that I could see his Brand in the palm of it. This is proof enough for me. "It is all of our Focuses. These l'cie here, we call ourselves the Army of One Focus." Achilles seems to notice my confusion, and then adds, "Don't worry, all will be explained later. For now, let's get you some gear and wake up your brother."


	7. Author's Note

**Hey everybody.. Just wondering if you guys reading this story could let me know what you think so far. I'm not sure whether or not I am going to finish this story or not, but if any of you are interested, tell me otherwise. Thanks for your cooperation! **


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